Explore

Hike, cycle, golf, stroll, kayak; rest. Sail, browse, sleep, swim, walk. Eat (well). Cook – or let someone do it for you. Read. Play a card game, ping pong, or just enjoy great conversation in a beautiful setting with friends or family. All of these choices are yours when you stay at an Acadia Seaside Cottage.

Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island (MDI) offers just about every kind of opportunity for physical recreation or sublime relaxation that you can think about. Hang out on the beach — either fresh water or oceanside — with fellow beachgoers, or quietly in private: you decide. Go shopping. Take in a ranger-led program at the Park. Go for an interpretive boat ride and learn about the islands and wildlife, cycle along any of the 50 miles of Carriage Paths. Or just kick back and let someone take you on a sail around the outer islands. You can hike, walk, fish, swim, canoe, enjoy a meal dockside or on linen tablecloths, visit a museum or a beautiful garden; catch up on your reading. Acadia can be about whatever you want it to be but, most of all, Acadia is about getting out and enjoying nature.

For hikers and walkers, see a list of trails organized by difficulty rating, courtesy of the National Park Service. The Park also features Ranger-led activities. Or, if you already know about the splendor and beauty of the Acadia region, support its preservation and sustainability by joining Friends of Acadia.

Sunrise on the top of Cadillac Mountain

Here’s a sampling of activities within 2 to 20 minutes of your accommodation at Acadia Seaside Cottages:

Walk on your own private beach. Right outside your door, down your own private steps is beachcomber’s paradise. Canoeists and kayakers can explore protected Duck Cove.

Tour Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

Visit the shops in Bar Harobor, enjoy a meal, or just stroll the sidewalks for some eclectic window shopping.

Rent a canoe on Long Lake.

Hike Acadia Mountain, then swim in Echo Lake at the end of the trail.

Rent bikes at Southwest Cycle in Southwest Harbor for a tour around the Carriage Paths.

Get an ice cream at the Quiet Side Café in Southwest Harbor (they have some of the best blueberry pie in the region, too, and we might add).

Eat lobster on the pier at Thurston’s in Bernard (lunch is best since it’s less crowded).

Take in a round of golf at the Causeway Club in Southwest Harbor.

Do the driving tour on Park Loop Road in the Park, and then enjoy traditional tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House, or a day at Sand Beach.